Enticed by free food, drinks and sea-themed trinkets, University of Connecticut students floated around the Student Union Lawn Thursday afternoon while getting a firsthand look at the different ways to get involved with the Student Union Board of Governors (SUBOG).
“Dive into SUBOG” showcased the board’s seven different committees across four tables, with the majority of the committees displaying nautical-themed signs of their names.
First-year Digital Entertainment and Films Chair Edward Underwood, whose committee shared a table with the Major Weekends Committee, said that his group prioritizes catering to a variety of communities on campus.
He said his committee shows three movies each weekend, attempting to “pretty much just try to keep a theme with all of them.”
“I try to get recommendations from communities on campus so it feels like people are watching something that they can relate to,” Underwood said.
He added that events such as this one and last week’s Involvement Fair are key to attracting new members to the different SUBOG committees.
“It’s really important to me because it kind of helps people understand how these bigger events work,” Underwood said. “You see the people that are running them. We’re not really a big board ideally, but when we have people come for the committees and stuff like that it helps the board become bigger, which helps the events run smoother, and helps us get a better idea of what people would like to see.”
Upon checking in at the events, students received the chance to spin a wheel to win a prize. Rewards included t-shirts, water bottles and pens. The various tables also gave away various stickers and shoe charms.
After visiting at least three of the four tables and getting their hands stamped at each, students then earned a pair of tickets to order free food from both Lizzie’s Curbside and Sip Well.
Third-semester biomechanical engineering student Benjamin Rusate ordered a “Campus Crush” from Sip Well; a dirty soda containing Coke, cherry syrup and vanilla cream.
Though Rusate didn’t know about the event before running into a few friends waiting in line, he said he enjoyed learning about the Comedy and Special Events committees.
“Last year, I went to most of the Special Events club, but I never really knew how they were run and anything about that,” Rusate said. “Now, being a part of that community and GroupMe, I’m able to know what events are and even help with the planning.”
Rusate also said that he was surprised by the number of different committees that form SUBOG.
“I’m definitely more interested in SUBOG as a community,” Rusate said. “I didn’t know how many subdivisions it had.”
Underwood said that bringing in new students early in the year is key to infusing the committees with new ideas.
“Hopefully, we can get a couple more people to join each committee, just so that the meetings are bigger and we can share more ideas,” Underwood said. “For me personally, when I do the meetings, I want to hear what other people have to say.”